Colonel Paul Du Pré

Colonel Paul Du Pro, USMC retired, was born on June 15, 1914 in Natchez, Louisiana and moved to California at age five. On June 15, 2011 Colonel Du Pro celebrated his 97th Birthday.

He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1940 and He retired in 1973 after serving over 33 years. He participated in combat action in WWII making amphibious landings on Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan and Tinian. He served in Korea for one year during the Korean War and one year in the Republic of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War, and is an old China Marine.

Collectively, he has seen over five years of hostile actions on foreign soil. While serving in Northern China at the base of the Great Wall, his unit came under hostile attacks by roving bands of mounted horsemen and foot troops.

His awards and decorations include ten (10) battle stars, the Legion of Merit, Silver Star and two purple hearts and many more.

During his career, Colonel Du Pro steamed in various U.S. Navy ships including the battleship USS New Jersey and the submarine USS Queenfish. In Arctic operations he served on icebreakers of the U.S. Coast Guard. His travels have taken him completely around the world many times.

As a member of the American Red Cross and Stay Fit program he completed 3,450 miles of swimming over a 31 year period.

Colonel Du Pré holds a commercial pilot’s license for both land and sea planes, is trilingual and expresses the amenities in nine other languages.

He graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Military Science and possesses certificates from La Sorbonne in Paris, France and the University of San Francisco in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Additionally, he has attended a number of formal schools of the Army, Navy, Air Force and the Marine Corps.